Electron discharge device



Jan. 18, 1938. v. L. 'RONCI 2,105,507

ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVI CE Filed July 16; 1936 INVENTOR IZLRONC/ ATTOR/VEV Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED SA'EES ELECTRQN DISCHARGE DEVICEApplication July 16, 1936, Serial No. 90,833

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electron discharge devices and moreparticularly to such devices capable of handling considerable powerwithout distortion.

An object of the invention is to maintain high efiiciency in operationunder adverse conditions of use.

Another object of the invention is to insure accurate alignment of theelectrodes of the device and proper space relationship between theelectrodes.

In accordance with this invention, an electrode unit is held in adefinite position at opposite ends of an enclosing vessel to eliminatevariations in lateral alignment of the electrodes which may be subjectedto severe shock. The unit may be constructed with the usual group ofelements, such as a cathode, grid and anode, which are coupled tosuitable spacing members at opposite ends and mounted on a stem at oneend of the vessel. Guiding means is rigidly held in the opposite end ofthe vessel and is provided with two parallel arms which extend throughthe upper spacing member, anode and lower spacing member, respectively,to maintain the electrode unit in alignment with the axis of the vesselwhile permitting the electrodes to expand and contract, due to theability of the unit to slidably move along the arms of the guidingmember and thereby compensate for temperature differences duringoperation.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearlyunderstood from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the 1 accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates in a perspective view a discharge device embodyingfeatures of this invention and having a portion of the enclosing vesselbroken away to more clearly illustrate the details of the construction;

Fig. 2 shows in elevation at side view of the electrode unit and a pressportion of its associated stem; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper end of the electrode unit withthe guiding means in an expanded state.

Referring to the drawing, the device of this invention as shown in Fig.1, includes an enclosing vessel to having an inwardly projecting stem llterminating in a press l2. The vessel is secured to a base I3 carrying aplurality of prongs or terminals It for connecting the electrodes to anexternal circuit. Mounted within, the vessel are a plurality ofelectrodes including a filamentary cathode 26, a control grid 21, ashield grid 28, a suppressor grid 29 and an anode 30. These electrodesare mounted between and held in spaced relationship by cross-shapedinsulators 48 and ll. The electrodes and insulating members form aunitary structure which is rigidly mounted on the press [2 through theinstrumentality of lead wires, such as 2| and 22.

The anode or plate electrode 38, which is in the form of a flattenedcylinder and may be provided with corrugations, such as 59 to stiffenit, is formed of two similar U-shaped flanged sections held together bytwo members IE3 and H having substantially cylindrical hollow portionsforming sockets l6 and 75 respectively, and flange portions, such as 12and 13 respectively. These flanged portions fit over the flanges of theU- shaped sections and are suitably secured to said flanges of theU-shaped sections, as by welding, or by self-locking punchings as shownat 14.

The upper and lower insulators 49 and ll rest against the upper andlower ends of the members l8 and Ti respectively and hold the electrodesin spaced relationship. The cathode is rigidly secured to the lowerinsulator 4| and resiliently secured to the upper insulator 40, and thegrids 2?, 28 and 2d are slidably held in both of said insulators so thata unitary structure including said insulators and electrodes isprovided. The insulating members 48 and 4|, which rest against the upperand lower ends of the members 'Hi and ll, are provided with holes 5, l,6 and 8 that are in alignment with the cylindrical openings in themembers it and H respectively, so as to receive guide rods to be laterdescribed.

The cathode 26 which may be a continuous filament of thoriated tungstencomprises two M- shaped sections disposed in amedial plane of the anode.The filament is resiliently supported at its upper end by springs, suchas 24, resting on the upper insulating member 40, as shown and describedin detail in Patent 2,019,492 to Hale et al., issued November 5, 1935.The lower ends of the filament are supported from the lower insulatingmember in the manner also shown and described in said patent. Thecontrol, shield and suppressor grids 21, 28 and 29, respectively, eachcomprise a pair of straight rods around which is wound a helical wire,said grids being in the form of flattened cylinders. One rod of eachpair of the grids fits in apertiu'es in the insulating members 40 and 4|and the other rod of each grid fits loosely in slots 80 and 8! in saidmembers, respectively. Stubs, such as 82 (see Fig. 3), suitably securedas by welding to the upper or lower ends of the rods adjacent theinsulators, hold the rods in place longitudinally.

To permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the electrodes andstill hold the electrodes in axial alignment, a forked member comprisinga pair of rods or arms I, 2, a yoke member 9| connecting them, and a rod98, which is sealed rigidly in the upper end of the vessel, is provided.The rod l7 passes through the hole 5 in the insulating member ii), thecylindrical opening 15 in member H3 and the hole I in insulating member4!, and the rod 2 passes through the hole 6 in member so, thecylindrical opening or socket T5 in the member H and the hole 8 inmember 4!.

When the electrodes are heated, they expand,

as is well known. Due to the electrode structure, including theinsulating members and the anode, being slidably connected to the rods land 2, lateral distortion of the electrodes is prevented, and axialalignment of the electrodes is ensured, since the electrodes are free toexpand and contract longitudinally, While this invention has beendisclosed with reference to a single embodiment, it will be understoodthat it is not specific thereto, but is to be considered as limited onlyby the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel, anelectrode structure including a cathode, a grid and an anode mounted inand from one end of said vessel, an insulating member at each end of thestructure for spacing said electrodes, said cathode being resilientlysupported from one of said insulating members, said anode having socketsextending longitudinally of its surface, and means at the other end ofsaid envelope cooperating with said sockets to support said structurelaterally but allowing longitudinal expansion and contraction of saidanode.

2 An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing Vessel, anelectrode structure including a cathode, a grid and an anode supportedin said vessel from one end thereof, an insulating member at each end ofsaid structure for spacing said electrodes, said anode having oppositelypositioned flanges with cylindrical passageways therein, the insulatingmembers resting against the ends of said flanges, said cathode beingresiliently supported from; one of said insulating members, and a pairof rods extending through said passageways and insulating members forlaterally supporting the upper end of said structure in slidablerelation on said rods and allowing ex pansion and contraction of saidelectrodes.

3. An electron discharge device comprising an enclosing vessel having astem, a unitary electrode structure including a cathode, a grid and ananode mounted on said stem, said anode having flanges containingsubstantially cylindrical passageways, insulating members at oppositeends of said unitary structure vfor spacing said electrodes and havingapertures in alignment with said cylindrical openings, and means rigidlymounted in the vessel opposite the stem and ture against lateraldisplacement.

VICTOR L. RoNcI.

